happiness is a warm puppy
by Ms.Cerisier
Summary: Cap-IronMan Bingo Card. Bailey and Buddy were good for him. Now if only Steve Rogers looked at his way for a little while, he would be completely happy, he seemed to say all the wrong things or be reduced to a blabbering mess every time Tony was in front of Steve. AU!College, Slash.


**Prompt fill:** N1 – _Animal_

 **Pairing:** Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

 **Rating:** T

 **Universe:** AU-College.

 **Warnings:** some coursing, and Tony being Tony.

 **Count Word:** 2617 approx.

 **Summary:** Bailey and Buddy were good for him. Now if only Steve Rogers looked at his way for a little while, he would be completely happy, he seemed to say all the wrong things or be reduced to a blabbering mess every time Tony was in front of Steve.

 **A/n:** It is not proofread, I apologize for the mistakes you will find.

* * *

" _Happiness is a warm puppy."_ **Charles M. Schulz**

It was raining cats and dogs and he didn't carry an umbrella, just his luck; maybe it was his fault since he started the day oversleeping, and the jinxed himself saying 'It couldn't be worse', of course it could be worse… arriving late to his first class, forgetting his thesis draft, no finding his car's key and having to take the bus, and now to finish a _perfect_ day a storm in spring, when the weather's prognostic was a free-rainy day.

So he found himself in the pathetic position of searching refuge, watching out for a store with enough space in its exterior to protect him of the rain; a café would be perfect he really needed his daily fix of caffeine. However, it was late and most of the stores were closed or had already packed with unfortunate souls like him.

Sighing he decided on walking, he was already drenched so even if he did not find refuge, he would reach his apartment. At least his house was only a couple of blocks more.

In the first place he just left the University's laboratory because he was starving since he couldn't eat on breakfast and at lunch he totally forgot; however, he didn't check the hour when he got out, the supermarket was open till ten o' clock, it was quarter past eleven when he decided to go and see if they could offer something more nutritious Pepper would be so proud since the vending machines near the laboratory only offered some cookies and a weird looking sandwiches, but now they seemed better than a hour ago.

Parading in the rain must count as a shower, like hell he would wake up early tomorrow to take a proper one, his assessor must have to endure the smell of science and awesomeness.

Grumbling to himself and thinking of awe inspiring equations for his investigation project, he kept on walking as fast as he could and trying to protect his face of the wind; that was when he noticed it, he didn't know how it cached his peripheral vision but it did, he stopped for a moment deciding if it was worth returning and exposing himself more to the rain, or it would be better just walk away towards his warm apartment. Choices.

Whimpers could be heard even with the rain falling without mercy, whimpers from a box that cached his attention. Now hearing it and not only seeing, he couldn't ignore it even if he wanted. Whatever, he checked his phone for the hour, 00:05, officially a new day…so his odds were good.

' _Don't jinx yourself, don't fucking jinx yourself Stark'_

Tony opened the lids of the box with care, peeking its contents. He guessed that it must had contained some kind of animal, probably kittens or puppies, some unfortunate animals that had been in the unlucky place of their owner being an A+ douchebag.

"Bingo" he said quietly when two heads of rather scrawny puppies peeped up from the box, "hey there, um, boys?"

The puppies barked, or tried to bark, moving franticly inside the box happy with the attention. They were a little wet, the box didn't offer much of protection against the rain, but their fur were not too dirty so he could see their color, one of them was a light gray with black spots and the other was totally black or at least it seemed that way; Tony didn't know which race they could be, the nearer he had been of a dog was Thor's Golden Retriever a crazy dog with a friendly attitude that matched its owner , but if his limited knowledge was correct, they must be a mix…they were more common to be abandoned.

He touched with care their little heads, _'Maybe two months old, no more than four'_ , smiling when the puppies kept head-butting his hand for more attention, they were cute and lively enough to discard a serious disease, so the visit to the Vet could wait until tomorrow at a more decent hour.

He took the two tiny bodies in his arms and tried to shell them with his jacket until they reached home.

Tony didn't know a fuck about taking care of puppies, but he just couldn't leave them in that storm waiting for dead; he wasn't so heartless.

.

.

So Tony maybe had miscalculated, taking care of puppies was difficult and he was a genius working for his third doctorate, so imagine at least he discover that puppy one, the light gray and black spotted, was a girl, the black was a boy. It was what the Vet had told him when he took the puppies in the morning, that and aside of a little infestation of fleas and undernourishment, they were healthy; some shots for the fleas and their first vaccine, and a recommendation for a good branch of dog's food, was all that the Vet had to offer them.

He named them Bailey and Buddy, well Jarvis named them when he called him asking if he knew something about the care of puppies. Apparently those were top names for dogs, and Tony had been ban of any kind of naming after DUM-E and if his thesis works as he planned JARVIS.

Tony didn't mind and liked the names, still it was hard…being responsible for another _living_ think, even if DUM-E kind of act like a puppy, but the bot didn't need much care. However, he still didn't regret to have picked them up, not when Bailey and Buddy looked at him with those eyes filled with affection, not even when DUM-E was so damn exited seeing his new little friends and if he record it with his phone, anyone but him would ever know and tried to douse them with the fire extinguisher.

The puppies were time consumers, and with his schedule already packed, it took a toll of him to try to be on time with all his work. The sensible thing would be looking for a house where they could play and receive all the love they deserved.

But Tony Stark was not a sensible guy.

.

.

They were adjusting to each other kirks.

Bailey liked to eat lying and slowly, her brother on the other hand ate as fast as he could and always wanted more, he was like a black hole. Tony had to program an alarm to remember to feed them and while he did it, he also ate. It was a win-win situation.

Rhodey told him he looked like he gained more muscular tone though, Tony suspected that his friend didn't wanted to say 'chubby' , his best friend fell in love with Buddy and Bailey, he wanted one. Tony refused.

Pepper liked to see them from a far; she was more a cat person. Tony didn't mind her, he himself liked cats a little bit more, but those puppies make him loved them…preferences did not matter.

.

.

He was happy a feeling that was sorely missing for some time, the puppies was good for him. Now if only Steve Rogers looked at his way for a little while, he would be completely happy. He didn't hope that his unrequited crush change, he was content if at least he could talk normally with the blond; he seemed to say all the wrong things or be reduced to a blabbering mess every time Tony was in front of Steve.

But how could he remain calm? Steve Rogers was the perfect specimen of the human race, tall, blonde and his muscles had muscles all in the perfect way , but also he was a decent person; he liked to help and was always polite, he had this little shy smile and blushes adorably when someone make a pass to him, like he didn't believe it possible…and lets not talk about his eyes, they were so blue that they reminded him of the sky when it was clear.

And Tony was, well, Tony; that means that he didn't have any possibility, even if he managed to talk with Steve without putting his foot in his mouth.

Also there was a high chance that Steve was Bucky Barnes' lover. James Buchanan Barnes who was Tony's partner in the MIT's laboratory, or more exactly his charge since he was the graduate student supervising that lab ironic, they put in charge someone who wasn't interested in leading or having more responsibilities , but he didn't like all that formalism, so all the undergraduates were buddies ( _kind of_ ) for him. Bucky was a good person, a perfect match for someone amazing like Steve.

Really, he liked James, he had this sarcastic and witty personality and even when they fought and that was more common than the appropriate Tony didn't hate him, they could be like friends with more time, their personalities almost similar make it difficult and easy at the same time. But asshole calls an asshole.

"I'm hopeless" Tony grumbled, Buddy licked his face trying to cheer him up, Bailey was lying in the opposite love seat seeing them unimpressed. "You could be totally a cat, doll," he told her, "with that apathetic response to your owner suffering"

Bailey yawned and closed her eyes. Tony loved her.

.

.

Apparently Natasha Romanov and Bucky were going out, still it didn't make his chances with Steve more promising.

Bailey and Buddy were growing up nicely and were very smart, Tony was training them and they cached up quickly the instructions.

"They were more well-behaved than I expected" Jarvis commented when he came for his bi-monthly check up.

"I'm training them, and they were smart" Tony said proudly scratching behind Bailey's ears, to her delight. Buddy was doing and excellent impression of a leech onto Jarvis' legs demanding attention.

"Very well, sir" his butler said smiling, "also it's refreshing to find you well rested and feed, they were very good for you"

Tony scoffed; he was capable of taking care of himself without the pups. He reminded Jarvis of that.

Jarvis was not a fan of animals, but Buddy and Bailey; he was fond of them if only for making Tony happy, for returning to his young master's eyes some of the light that he was losing with the time.

"Good job" he told them when Tony didn't see him

.

.

Just like all the good things in Tony's life, this Buddy and Bailey in his life didn't last.

Buddy went missing, it was stupid, it just took a second of Tony being entertained by Bailey for giving a chance to Buddy to wander alone. And neither of his dogs knew _yet_ he stressed that part their way to Tony's house.

Tony searched for hours, in the neighborhood and outside it, shouting Buddy's name until his throat hurt. Bailey noticing her owner distress begun to yowl, in an unusually sign of empathy from her, but it was her brother, Tony guessed, so she must have been worried too.

At the end Tony had to call Pepper and Rhodey for help, his friends searched too and called their own friends to ask for Buddy. While they were doing that, Tony made a missing post and went out to paste it everywhere, not before he called Jarvis to asking to babysit _dogsit?_ Bailey.

He didn't know what he would do if Buddy didn't return, he didn't want to think about that. He kind of zoned out with those thoughts while he was pasting his missing post with the ridiculous exorbitant reward.

Tony was so out it that he didn't hear when another person was talking to him trying to gain his attention. He just grunted.

"Go away" Tony nearly shouted when he felt a hand in his shoulder, "I need to find Buddy"

That was when he heard that familiar bark, Tony looked at the floor and he saw him, there was Buddy barking happily and trying to hug him if not for the lash that was in the hand of the stranger that was trying and failing to talk to him.

"Buddy!"

Their reunion was emotive if Tony said so himself , full of dog kisses and threats and praises from Tony. He nearly cut off the leash keeping Buddy from him, he managed to untie it after a few tries and gained a lapful of overexcited pup.

"I missed you too, I am sorry, so sorry…please don't do it again" Tony whispered with his head buried in his dog fur. "Don't leave me, Buddy"

Someone coughed in his near vicinity and Tony remembered about the stranger. So for this time he would do what a normal person would do.

"Thank you" Tony said lifting his head without releasing Buddy losing him one time is enough.

"You're welcome, Tony." the stranger not so stranger said.

Because there was Steve Rogers with that sweet smile of him and blue-blue eyes, being the perfect being that he was, saving lost dogs in his free time it seems. If Tony were not already half in love with the blond, he would be now; could someone be more perfect and unreachable?

"About the reward, we need to go to my apartment for it…I don't usually carry cash" Tony said because he was unable to hold a normal conversation with Steve Rogers, if the pinched expression on the other face was clue enough.

"That won't be necessary" Steve refused glazing fondly at Buddy, for a second Tony felt jealous, but it was Buddy so Tony understood the fond. "It was more that, um Buddy? Found me."

"But I put a reward in the missing posts" Tony insisted, he didn't even know why he was so adamant to give Steve money.

Well he knew, but he kinds of want that Steve kept refusing.

"I don't need the money, I am really glad that he found his owner" the blond ducked until he was at the same height of him and Buddy, "but if you want to reward me, how about a date?"

Tony must be dreaming, there was no other way that Steve Rogers was asking him out.

"You aren't dreaming" Steve said blushing, he was adorable and he had to be talking aloud, "Yeah, you are…also thank you I think that you adorable too"

"Kill me please"

"No, I want to take you out first, if possible"

"Okay"

.

.

Jarvis was not amused when Tony returned two hours after with Buddy, neither were Rhodey and Pepper. He forgot to inform them that he had found Buddy.

But they had let it pass after seeing his doped face. The date with Steve was awesome.

.

.

The thing was that Tony believed that he was happy without adding Steve Rogers to the mix, but if that was he being happy…he didn't know what he was feeling anymore.

He was in a permanent state of bliss. He had two dogs and an amazing boyfriend.

Tony also discovered that Steve was not perfect, but it made him more perfect for him. Bailey like Buddy and Tony loved Steve at first sight. Steve loved the three Starks.

"We will need to find a bigger house, Buddy and Bailey need more space to run" Steve commented.

"Are you sure that you wanted to move in with me?" Tony asked, "I was hard to manage in bigger doses."

"I love you, I want everything that you give me"

Steve Rogers was such a dork, Tony thought accepting Steve lips and deepening the kiss.

.

.

For Tony happiness was Steve and his two dogs.

.

.


End file.
